Portable shelter



1950 P. T. CLINE 2,531,501

PORTABLE SHELTER Filed Nov. 29, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I EN T012.

. jaulli 02m Nov. 28, 1950 P. T. CLINE 2,531,501

PORTABLE SHELTER Filed NOV. 29, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENI'OR. Z Cline NOV. 28, 1950 1', um: 2,531,501

PORTABLE SHELTER Filed NOV. 29, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 [NI/ENTOIZ.

,PGLZZI Cline Nov.- 28, 1950 P. T. CLINE 2,531,501

PORTABLE SHELTER 0 Filed Nov. 29, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTUR Pal/ZZZ 675726 item: clothes Patented Nov. 28, 1950 FAT ENT OFFICE PORTABLE SHELTER ii twill T; came-,st. Petersburm-Fla. f A'pplication-N-flvember 29, 1948, Serial No; 62.511

1 J "fi fllaimsi- (Cl.a1=35-7.1)

" Lew-invention relates to "combinationrpoitable shelter and carrying cases, =a'iprincipal use for which wouldbe -picnics and :b'ea'ch parties,

imp tant-tw t fmfy n ention is to provide a combination portable shelt r and par rying case or light weight portable constructi small enough to fit withihhthe trunk compartment oi-an automobile, for be carried bi'l'it's adult.

'handle'and'la rge enough so that" when ."set up on the ground itwill house at-Seated or reclining A still further object 'of my invention 15 to provide a Portable shelter and a carrying case, the openingsides of which arcmade offa water proof fabric and are. detachable by. means of snai fasteners from the frame the case, s0 that they may be laid flatupcn the sand for the purpose of reclining thereon. A further object of myinven'tion is to. pro vide a waterproof fabriccovered cushion, which may be attached to said wa'terproo ffabric cover: ing the portable sheiter, to provide a cushion for a person sitting or'reciining thereon,

Asti'li further object of my invention is to provide; mounted pivotetblywithin the frame or my portable shelter; two coli'apsiblefwaterprhof fab-riccovered wind and shelters; one on either side and removabi-yattached so that in their openpositiOn, together with the frame of the portable shelter; theywill prdvidei shelter and privacy; being suflicintly large to enable an adult to sit or recline therein, or to: change clothes. A still further object" of my invention is to provide a number of screened vents in the clothes brush which, by means of snap fasteners,

be attaesec mshanutside erimy sasemhe brush to be msemfbr thrashing sir ra k ng n :frorntheecas'e 2 iliustrati'onswi ll disclose other iobjects and" advantages that are "included inmydnvention; in whichlike parts are designated by like-numerals,

and in which v 1 Fig.- '1 represents a perspectiveview of my'co'mbination portable shelter and-carrying case within the trunk compartment of ana'utomobile shown in phantom-line.

Fig. is'a perspectivewiew of'myconrbinatign portable sheiter and carrying case 'shownbeing carried by a person.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing my'porb able shelter with'its'Iabric-sides' lying; opened out on the sand.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view oifa portion of my portable shelter taken substantially on lines 4-4 ofFig', 3 and showing the means of detach,- ing the fabric sidesfrom the frame.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofxmy" portable shelter showing one of the Wind breakers". in operativeposition; and also showing afigure in phantom line reclining upon the cushion gattached to' the open base of the shelter.

Fig. '6 a cross-sectional View taken stantiallyon lirie 8-6 o'fiFig. 5.

Fig; '1 is a perspective View of my portable shelter showing bothside' wind' shelters in openative posi ion, and showing, in dotted"1ines, a figure seated therein.

8 is aDerspective-view 'of' ny' portable shelter showing the base of the shelter open. to form a rec nin mat vand s owi g theisikeleton case removed therefrom.

- Fig. '9 an enlarged perspective view of a fragment of the case of my shelter lopKin'gQin thedirection' of line 9-9 of g. .3 and showing a clothes brush in its case attached thereto.

F 10 is a cr s-sectiona view .of a sertion of the ca o y invention taken su stantially an iin'es jut-lo or Fig. 8.

'Fig. i1 is a perspective view of .my invention shownbeing used as ararrying "case; with one side open andbroken to show the hanger g ns h' h reof} the ollaps ble" w nd she... havirigbeen removed therefrom.

F g 12 is nen ed v wta enloekine in tlaefiii'cbioh of lines Ii -l2 on Fig, 11 with the addition of the coliapsiible' ribs; essential element of; thecollapsible shelter structure.

-Fi'g? T3 is a perspective iew takenlooking in .tla''direetion crimes Iii- &3 rrang in ehane r a chm n mean or in relation v '14 is am-perspeetivewiewe myv invention sipsqmpiinyinki 9' shown in an open position and wit-ii: the e-notion ing straps attached, certain parts being broken away.

Fig. is an enlarged perspective View, partly in section, showing the anchoring means for securing the strap by virtue of peg means to the sand or ground surface.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a portion of my invention illustrating how one of the anchoring straps may be used as a shoulder strap to aid in carrying the case by the figure illustrated in phantom line.

My invention is generally designated l1, and

consists of a four-sided frame l8, made of a light weight material such as wood, and of a size to enable it to be placed easily within the trunk compartment of a car 69, shown in phantom line in Fig. 1, or to be carried by hand as shown in Fig. 2.

Three sides of the frame |8 are covered with a waterproof fabric l9. On one end, a handle 20 is attached. The bottom 24 of the frame l8 and the two open sides of my portable shelter and carrying case 11 are covered by a length of waterproof fabric, the sidewall-forming portions of which are designated 2| and 22, and the bottom wall portion is designated 23. A flap of waterproof fabric 25 is attached to the side portion 2| at 26, the free edge of which is provided with a number of male snap fasteners 21, which being fastened to female snap fasteners 33, on the side portion 22, provide an attaching or detaching means for the portions 2| and 22 with the frame I8. Sewed or otherwise attached to the outer end of the side portion 2| at 23 is an extending flap 28, which may be unfolded outwardly to provide additional reclining area, as shown in Fig. 5, or by means of male and fema e snap fasteners 3| and 32 may be maintained in a folded, out-of-the-way position against the side portion 2 I, as shown in Fig. 3.

The edges of the sides 2| and 22 are provided with narrow extended folds 33, upon which are mounted male snap fasteners 34, which together with female snap fasteners 35 mounted upon three sides of the frame I8 provide the means of securely fastening the sidewall-forming portions 2| and 22 thereto, forming a closed carrying case.

I also provide a removable cushion 33, made of a cushioning material 38 such as sponge rubber, contained between two lengths of waterproof fabric and provided with snap fasteners 31 engaging complementary fasteners 15 on side portion 2| (see Fig. 5) to hold said cushion 33 in place on the opened portions 2| and 22.

Mounted in four places upon the inside walls of the frame it! are two sets of brackets 39, which by means of bolts 52 and lock nuts 53 through holes an in the brackets 39 and holes 4| in the frame l8, as shown in Fig. 12, provide pivotable mounting means for two sets of three ribs numbored 42, 43, and 44. which are separated by four spacers 13. The ribs 43 and 44 are offset at 54 to provide additional space between said ribs and to prevent the accidental touching of the body or catching of clothes by the habitant or occupant of the shelter on the lock nut 53. The ribs 42, 43, and 44 are spaced so as to provide room for the folds of waterproof fabric covering materials 46 when in a collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 10. One end of the fabric covering 45 is attached to the rib 44; the other end is attached to the'inside of the frame H1 at the top by means of snap fasteners 41 so that it may be detached as desired.

Sides 45 of the wind shelter fabric 46 are provided with a number of screened vents 48, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. '1, to provide ventilation. Attached to the inside of the handle end of frame l8 are two stiifeners providing extra strength where it is needed to the frame |8 and supporting, by means of drilled holes 56, a number of wire hanger rods 51 by means of bent ends 58 thereon, removably insertable in the holes 55. Thus by means of these detachable hangers 51, my portable shelter may also be used as an eificient and practical carrying case, as illustrated in Fig. 11, with clothes 59 shown hanging upon the hanger 51. In this illustration, the ribs 42, 43, and 44, together with the windbreaking fabric 46, have been removed, to provide extra carrying space. However, the portable shelter may contain clothes or other items without removing the aforesaid ribs and windbreaking fabric.

If it is desirable to anchor my shelter when at the beach or on a picnic, I provide three straps 63; on one end of which are attached male snap fasteners 6| to mate with the aforementioned female snap fasteners 35 on the frame IS; the other end of the strap 60 is provided with a grommet 62 to fit over the end of a plastic peg 63 which is provided with barbs 64 to hold it firmly in the sand or earth 65, as shown in Fig. 15. A fourth strap 56 has, besides the aforementioned grommet 62 and the male snap fastener 6|, a number of male snap fasteners 61 on the grommet end, in order that the strap 66 may be used as a shoulder carrying strap, as illustrated in Fig. 16, by snapping one of the male snap fasteners 61 into one of the female snap fasteners 35 on the frame I8, a number of snap fasteners 31 being provided in order to accommodate the length of the strap 66 to the height of the person carrying a portable shelter. When the strap 66 is not being used as a carrying strap or as an anchor strap, it may be snapped tightly against the outside of the frame |8 by means of a male snap fastener 68 engaging in one of the sockets 35 on bottom wall portion 23, as shown in phantom line in Fig. 16.

All straps, if preferable, may be made similar to the construction called for in strap 66 so as to be used interchangeably.

The straps 50, together with the pegs 53, and the removable cushion 35 may be carried within the portable shelter and carrying case I! when not in use.

A clothes brush 12 and its container case 10 may, by means of snap fasteners 1|, be attached to fasteners 14 the outside of the frame |1 when going to the beach or on a picnic. When not required, the case 1!! may be removed and left at home, or carried inside the case as desired.

In Fig. 5, I show one of the many uses of my invention. In this case, a figure 49 is shown reclining upon the cushion 36 and using one of the Windbreaker sides 46 as a partial sunshade.

In Fig. '1, I show my invention with the sides 46 down and a man 5|, in dotted lines, changing his clothes in the privacy afforded by the tent-like structure.

In Fig. 8, I show the connected fabric sidewallforming portions 2| and 22 entirely removed from the frame I8, and a figure 50 reclining on the cushion 36 attached thereto, in use as a reclining mat.

, Fig. 11, as has been previously described, shows my invention being used as a carrying case.

A most desirable feature of my invention is that, in one unit, it may contain all or the requisites for a beach party or picnic, eliminating the necessity for loosely carrying blankets, hampers, bathing suits, towels, etc., since these may be packed within my portable shelter and carrying case and easily transported, the same being adapt,- able to form a reclining mat, a sunshade and reclining mat, and/or an enclosure affording privacy to an occupant.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction of my combination portable she] ter and carrying case, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction shown, but desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially set forth in the subjoined claims.

Having thus described and disclosed my invention, what I claim as novel, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A combination portable shelter and carrying case comprising, a four-walled framework provided with snap fastening means secured thereto adjacent perimetral edges of its exterior surfaces, and a textile element removably secured substantially at its mid portion to a bottom wall of said framework and provided with mating snap fastening means removably securable to said firstmentioned snap fastening means to form a carrying case, said textile element forming a reclining mat when in open and flat arrangement.

2. A combination portable shelter and carrying case comprising, a four-walled framework provided with snap fastening means secured thereto adjacent perimetral edges of its exterior surfaces,

and a textile element removably secured substantially at its mid portion to a bottom Wall of said framework and provided with mating snap fastening means removably securable to said firstmentioned snap fastening means to form a carrying case, said textile element forming a reclining mat when in open and flat arrangement, and a pair of collapsible waterproof wind and sun shelters mounted interiorly, and on each end, of said framework.

3. A combination portable shelter and carrying case comprising, a four-walled framework provided with snap fastening means secured thereto adjacent perimetral edges of its exterior surfaces, and a textile element removably secured substantially at its mid portion to a bottom wall of said framework and provided with mating snap fastening means removably securable to said firstmentioned snap fastening means to form a carrying case, said textile element forming a reclining mat when in open and flat arrangement, and a second textile element removably securable to an inner face, and joined to an outer end, of said first-mentioned textile element to form an extension for said reclining mat.

4. A combination portable shelter and carrying case comprising, a four-walled framework provided with snap fastening means secured thereto adjacent perimetral edges of its exterior surfaces, and a textile element removably secured substantially at its mid portion to a bottom wall of said framework and provided with mating snap fastening means removably securable to said firstmentioned snap fastening means to form a carrying case, said textile element forming a reclining mat when in open and flat arrangement, a pair of collapsible waterproof wind and sun shelters mounted interior-1y, and on each end, of said framework, and a second textile element removably securable to an inner face, and joined to an outer end, of said first-mentioned textile element to form an extension for said reclining mat.

5. A combination portable shelter and carrying case comprising, a four-walled framework provided with snap fastening means secured thereto adjacent perimetral edges of its exterior surfaces, and a textile element removably secured substantially at its mid portion to a bottom wall of said framework and provided with mating sna fastening means removably securable to said firstmentioned snap fastening means to form a carrying case, said textile element forming a reclining mat when in open and fiat arrangement, a second textile element removably securable to an inner face, and joined to an outer end, of said firstmentioned textile element to form an extension for said reclining mat, and cushion means provided with snap fastenin means engageable with said second-mentioned snap fastening means to removably attach said cushion means to said reclining mat.

6. A combination portable shelter and carrying case comprising, a four-walled framework provided with snap fastening means secured thereto adjacent perimetral edges of its exterior surfaces, and a textile element removably secured substantially at its mid portion to a bottom wall of said framework and provided with mating snap fatenin means removably securable to said firstmentioned snap fastening means to form a carrying case, said textile element forming a, reclining mat when in open and flat arrangement, a, pair of collapsible waterproof wind and sun shelters mounted interiorly, and on each end, of said framework, a second textile element removably securable to an inner face, and joined to an outer end, of said first-mentioned textile element to form an extension for said reclining mat, and cushion means provided with snap fastening means engageable with said second-mentioned snap fastening means to removably attach said cushion means to said reclining mat.

P. T. CLINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,805,415 Pendarvis et a1 May 21, 1931 1,818,914 Verdini Aug. 11, 1931 2,014,336 Marthaler Sept. 10, 1935 2,047,035 Rosenberg July 7, 1936 2,290,786 Varady July 21, 1942 2,373,106 Doux Apr. 10, 945

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 491,000 France Jan. 18, 1919 28,323 Australia Aug. 21, 1930 

